Death of Summer: Apocalypse 40k part 2

Round 2!

After some nourishing Pizza, all the players shifted boards (and in the Ork's instance, entire sides) and were allowed a bit to tweak or rewrite their lists. After that, the battles could continue!

The recently redeployed Vostroyen Firstborn with Imperial Knight
support takes up the defense of the statue, filling the square with
bodies that the Chaos Forces have to cut through.

But the Chaos have their own Renegade Knight for the attack! The owner
of the statue at the end of the game was worth major victory points, so the
fighting in the city is in deadly earnest.

Its a Xenos fight! With the Orks switching sides (as much as
either alien faction was on anyones team) the desert island becomes
much... louder. I can only imagine the thick tendrils of smoke
promising the greenskins a goodtime, and who knows why the
Dark Elder are involved.

No Stompa this time! But the Dakkajets from before are back.

The Greyknights, following Magnus, take up defenses on the big islands
right flank around the Macrocannon.

The Emperor's Tigers occupy the center around the critical void
shield generator.

Such a pretty tank. It'd be a shame if something... happened to it.

My guardsman again take up positions on the right flank- after
a thorough reloading for the Manticore. 

Another renegade Imperial Knight appears to support the nurgle forces
crossing no man's land towards the Grey Knights.

This time the Chaos forces will find a little more resistance for
taking ground (note a chimera full of Veterans). 

And, facing down the Bastion, Magnus and his minions appear...
just as planned.

Magnus moves, leaping across the battlefield in a warp-charged
blur of motion!

Turn one he breaches the Void Shield's perimeter, and shatters
the Primaris Tank like it was a mere cardboard cutout.

Astoundingly, Magnus is summarily executed by my trio of flamers and
command squad of meltaguns. Four melta shots, four wounds, no saves
18+ wounds, before the flamers finished him off. Promotions and
brain scrubs for everyone!

Veterans and Terminators fight in the blasted forest. The guard manage
to kill three of the bastards with their overcharging plasma guns before
being ripped apart, leaving just a platoon commander behind.

Magnus, having returned to the battlefield due to the rules of the
Apocalypse, decides to take on a different target instead, sweeping
in to beat on the Bastion even as many of his minions surge forwards.

As the guard's position looks like it may be overrun, a haggard enginseer
slaps patches on the bastion to keep it livable, repairing upwards of
six wounds throughout the second half of the battle.

Dreadknight v. Imperial Knight, with Grand Master Voldus and his
Paladins rushing to join the fray.

Things start off alright with a veritable standstill between the
two combatants...

But the terminators jump to their Renegades defense, effectively
tearing the Dreadknight apart.

Elsewhere a Macrocannon hits the desert island, killing Orks and
Dark Eldar by the handful- its almost like the Imperial High Command
didn't take greenskin casualties into account when authorizing the fire
order!

The Vostroyen's, immune to morale tests, form a rapidly constricting
defensive ring as the Chaos forces push in on several sides!

A HQ stratagem (called in by the Chaos forces no less) calls in a strafing
run on the center of the square, killing many guardsman- but taking
out more than a few Chaos Marines and the Renegade Knight in
the process!

Forgotten by the terminators hungering for bigger glory, the lone
platoon commander hunkers down in the ruined Rhino, quietly
feeding the Imperium points from his forward observational
position. Cowardice or Bravery? Its for the Commissariat to tell.

The Deathwatch, having dropped in  a drop pod, surge forwards
to kill the Fate Weaver! Unfortunately they meet his revenge when
he renters play once again at the beginning of the chaos turn.

The leftmost 2x2 zone on the desert island in the process of being obliterated
by an Imperial Orbital Strike, annihilating all troops (Dark Elder), terrain, and
the objective in a holocaust of super powered energy- effectively robbing
the Dark Elder their speed advantage. 

Ork heavy v. Wraith Knight over the final pump. This vital source
of victory points is critical for the Imperium!

Turnabout is fair play! With the Deathwatch re-entering play, they
deploy on the hill and wipe out the Daemon holding it,

The Hill is ours!

Points going into the final round- sadly no one had enough
stratagem points to call in an Exterminatus level event at the
last minute.

All over the map the Imperial Defenders surge forwards to capture as much
terrain as possible, claiming the majority of the board for the Imperium just
in time for final scoring !

Even with Imperium Victories on both the Void Shield Island and Fuel Island, the Chaos forces held a three point lead at the end of the game. It all came down to whether the last few Vostroyen's could hold in the city. The last dice were rolled, the points were tabulated and sure enough- the Firstborn held the line! Holding the statue at the end of the game was enough to push our side to a full on Imperial Victory!

It was a long bloody day, but Drenthal, at least this one small warzone upon it, was safely in Imperial hands. For the Emperor!

Many thanks to Chris Ormando for opening his store to so many players for free to play in the big game! We hope to be back again soon. I know for a fact I have more than a few more things to paint before the Konor campaign ends....